What does prescription-only medicine (POM) mean in the UK?

Under the Human Medicines Regulations 2012, a POM may only be supplied on the authorisation of an appropriate UK prescriber (doctor, dentist or registered non-medical prescriber). All MHRA-licensed GLP-1 receptor agonists and related incretin medicines are POMs.

Can I get GLP-1 medicines without a prescription in the UK?

No. Supply of a POM without a valid prescription is a criminal offence. Any UK-legal access to Mounjaro, Wegovy, Ozempic, Saxenda, Rybelsus, Victoza or Trulicity requires a valid prescription following appropriate clinical assessment by a UK prescriber, dispensed by a UK-registered pharmacy.

Is compounded semaglutide or tirzepatide the same as the licensed product?

No. Compounded versions are not the same regulated product as Wegovy, Ozempic, Mounjaro or other licensed brands. The MHRA has issued warnings about compounded weight-loss injectables. See the counterfeit and grey-market pages for more.

Why does this site avoid advertising prescription-only medicines?

UK advertising rules restrict promotion of POMs to the public. Educational content distinguishing licensed indications, evidence and safety profile is permitted; promotional language ('best', 'cheap', 'get it here', 'buy') and supplier links are not the same as education and we deliberately avoid them.

GLP-1 Medicines Are UK Prescription-Only — What That Means

GLP-1 medicines are UK prescription-only — what that means

Educational explainer on what prescription-only medicine (POM) status means in UK law for GLP-1 receptor agonists, dual / triple incretin agonists and combination obesity medicines. No supplier links, no dosing, no medical advice.

What "prescription-only" actually means

Under the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 a medicine classified as a prescription-only medicine (POM) may only be supplied on the authorisation of an appropriate practitioner. For GLP-1 receptor agonists used for type 2 diabetes, chronic weight management or cardiovascular risk reduction, this means three concurrent requirements:

A valid prescription from a UK-registered prescriber following appropriate clinical assessment.
Dispensing by a registered UK pharmacy (in-person or via a properly regulated online pharmacy).
Use within the licensed indication and prescriber's clinical judgement, with appropriate monitoring.

What POM status does not allow

Supply of the medicine without a prescription.
Bulk purchase via routes that bypass clinical assessment.
Sharing prescribed medicine between individuals.
Compounding of the active ingredient outside the regulated pharmacy framework, except under the limited "specials" provisions of the Medicines Act.

Education vs advertising — why we are careful here

UK advertising rules (overseen by the MHRA, the ASA and the CAP Code) restrict promotion of POMs to the public. Independent journalistic, scientific and educational coverage of how the medicines work, what trials show and what the safety and regulatory profile looks like is permitted. What is not permitted is promotional language, supplier funnels, before/after imagery, influencer claims or content that operates as a route to obtaining the medicine outside a properly assessed prescribing pathway. We avoid all of those. For our full position see advertising rules for weight-loss medicines.

Different brand, same active ingredient — different POM

Mounjaro and Zepbound contain the same active ingredient (tirzepatide) but are different licensed products under different regulatory pathways (UK / EU vs US). Ozempic and Wegovy both contain semaglutide but are licensed for different indications. Off-label or compounded versions of the active ingredient are not the same regulated product as the licensed brand. See the brand-name medicines hub for the molecule-to-brand mapping.

Where research-only and investigational compounds sit

Retatrutide, cagrilintide, CagriSema, survodutide and the other investigational incretin programmes have not received UK marketing authorisation and are not POMs (or any other supply class) — they are simply not licensed for human therapeutic use in the UK. AOD-9604, HGH Fragment 176-191, CJC-1295 and ipamorelin are research-only and have not advanced to a UK human-therapeutic licence. See research peptides and UK law for the educational overview.

Frequently asked questions

What does prescription-only medicine (POM) mean in the UK?: Under the Human Medicines Regulations 2012, a POM may only be supplied on the authorisation of an appropriate UK prescriber (doctor, dentist or registered non-medical prescriber). All MHRA-licensed GLP-1 receptor agonists and related incretin medicines are POMs.
Can I get GLP-1 medicines without a prescription in the UK?: No. Supply of a POM without a valid prescription is a criminal offence. Any UK-legal access to Mounjaro, Wegovy, Ozempic, Saxenda, Rybelsus, Victoza or Trulicity requires a valid prescription following appropriate clinical assessment by a UK prescriber, dispensed by a UK-registered pharmacy.
Is compounded semaglutide or tirzepatide the same as the licensed product?: No. Compounded versions are not the same regulated product as Wegovy, Ozempic, Mounjaro or other licensed brands. The MHRA has issued warnings about compounded weight-loss injectables. See the counterfeit and grey-market pages for more.
Why does this site avoid advertising prescription-only medicines?: UK advertising rules restrict promotion of POMs to the public. Educational content distinguishing licensed indications, evidence and safety profile is permitted; promotional language ('best', 'cheap', 'get it here', 'buy') and supplier links are not the same as education and we deliberately avoid them.